Smock, Dilling Bound into Trials' Jump FinalsKampf Advances in 800-meters, Pachuta Out

Amanda Smock in action.
(Photo by Becky Miller.)

A pair of Minnesota jumpers leaped into Olympic Trials’ finals as top qualifiers in their events at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday.

Defending USA champion Amanda Smock advanced to the women’s triple jump finals by landing a prelim-topping second jump of 45-3 ½.  About an hour later, Minnesota State, Mankato alumnus Jim Dilling advanced to the men’s high jump final after jumping cleanly to 7-1 ¾.

On the track, Team USA Minnesota’s Heather Kampf qualified for her first USA Championship final with a 4^th-place, 2:02.59 performance in her heat of the 800-meters.  The University of Minnesota’s David Pachuta, however, finished a non-advancing 7^th in his men's 800m semi in 1:46.83.

Women’s Triple Jump … Smock, a Melrose native and the only U.S. women’s triple jumper to own an Olympic Games qualifying mark, opened with 43-8 ½ and closed her prelims with 44-1 ¼. 

Sheena Gordon was the second-best qualifier at 44-10 ¼.  Erica McLain, a 2008 Olympian and the top U.S. jumper in 2012 at 45-9¾, qualified as the 6^th-longest jumper on the day with 43-7 ¾.

Smock, who has jumped 45-7¼ this year, was largely pleased with her effort on a cool, rainy Oregon day.

“It was just a little on the chilly side,” Smock said, “and that’s good for me to feel that, because Monday I’m sure the temperature will be the same, we’ll probably be dealing with rain again.  So, I’ll just have to keep myself warm between jumps.”

Smock, who won last year’s USA meet with a jump of 46-2, anticipates needing a personal best to make the London team.

“Making the team would probably mean a PR for me,” the North Dakota State alumnus projected.  “Anytime you walk away from the track with a PR its a good day.  Making the team and PR-ing, rolled into one, it’ll be a good day.  I’ll be happy with that.”

Men’s High Jump … Dilling took only three jumps in his competition -- at 6-10 ¾, 7-0 ½, and 7-1 ¾ -- and cleared them all.

“It feels good,” Dilling said.  “Three jumps, two-eighteen clean.  It was a good competition.  It was good not to have to take a lot of jumps.”

Also perfect on the day were Dilling's main rivals:  2004 Olympic Trials champ Jamie Nieto, defending Trials champ Jesse Williams, and Erik Kynard Jr.  All three possess the Olympic A standard of 7-7.  

 A fourth jumper with the mark, Ricky Robertson, did not qualify for the final.

Dilling faces the tall order of needing a personal record of 7-7 and a top-three finish in Monday’s final to book a ticket to London.  Dilling, the upset 2007 USA high jump champion, has, of course, beaten the odds before on a USA Championship stage.

“I know it’s going to take a big day,” Dilling forecast.  “There were only four A standards in the U.S. coming in, and one didn’t make it through.  Those three guys are looking pretty good, but hopefully I just have a great day and get that A on them.”

Heather Kampf strides toward finals.
(Photo by Becky Miller.)

Women’s 800m … For the second straight day, Heather Kampf needed to wait out all the heats of the women’s 800m to learn whether she would advance.  Once again, she survived to race another day.

“It wasn’t quite as smooth as yesterday,” Kampf said of the racing.  “Obviously, when there are five people contending for three spots instead of three or four, it makes a difference having an extra body out there.” 

“It definitely was a little bit more contact,” the 2006 NCAA Indoor champion continued.  “A little over 150 to go, I had to push Brenda Martinez a little bit because we were both all over the place and tripping on each other.  So, I lost a little bit of momentum.”

Kampf waited on the track while the second semi ran, witnessing her fate.

“I had to be there to watch it,” she admitted.  “It worked out.  I really wanted to be in this final, so I’m glad to have the opportunity.”

Find complete Day 2 Olympic Trials results HERE.

In Action on Sunday ...

Two Minnesota athletes will be in action on Sunday at the Olympic Trials. 

Samanatha Sonnenberg and Kaitlyn Rains will compete in the women's pole vault which gets underway at 3:00 p.m. CDT.  The pair were to have competed in pole vault qualifying on Friday, but the event was washed out by rain.  Today's competition will be contested as a final.  Sonnenberg is the #13-ranked pole vault in the U.S. in 2012; Rains is ranked #24.

At 5:05 p.m., Liz Podomonick will compete in the final of the women's discus.  Podomonick, who qualified for finals as the third-best thrower on Friday, has the #5 throw in the U.S. this year at 200-0.  If today's final is to culminate in an Olympic berth, the Lakeville native will need to finish in the top-three and throw the Olympic A standard of 203-5 or further.

Follow today's action live on our Twitter feed HERE ... then look for a full recap this evening.